JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It turned out not to matter who started for Georgia at quarterback on Saturday, after all.
The Bulldogs’ defense showed why this UGA team carries the No. 1 ranking with a devastating flurry of activity over the final 2 1/2 minutes of the first half, taking over the game amidst a three-touchdown spurt.
Georgia cruised to the 34-7 victory over Florida from that point forward on Saturday at TIAA Bank Field, reclaiming series dominance with their fourth win in the past five rivalry games with the Gators.
More importantly, Georgia took another massive step toward the SEC Championship Game appearance by getting by the seemingly always dangerous Gators.
Most all of the talk leading up to this game was centered around which quarterback Coach Kirby Smart would start after JT Daniels’ was cleared to return to practice during the bye week.
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It turned out to be a waste of breath, and conjecture.
The Georgia defense, ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in every major statistical category entering the day, reminded everyone why the Bulldogs are the best team in the nation.
The decisive flurry started after Stetson Bennett was intercepted at the Florida 2-yard line, backing the Gators’ up into the shadows of their own goalpost at the 2-yard line.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Richardson, making his first career start, got back to the line on his first carry. Richardson was moving the pile forward on his next carry when Nolan Smith stripped him of the football to give UGA possession.
On the very next play, James Cook sprinted into the end zone with an 11-yard TD and it was suddenly 10-0.
Florida reclaimed possession at its own 25 with 2:16 left in the half after the score. But on its second offensive play, Travon Walker tipped a Richardson pass, and Nolan Smith was there for an interception at the Gators’ 36-yard line.
One play later, Bennett hit a wide-open Kearis Jackson in the corner of the end zone, and it was 17-0 at the 1:35 mark.
The Gators were staggered, and yet, because of Georgia’s lack of offense, the game still didn’t seem completely out of hand as Florida started driving toward midfield in the final moments of the half.
But on second-and-11 at the Florida 47, after celebrated play caller Dan Mullen called for a timeout, Richardson unleashed a pass for the perimeter that Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean had started breaking on before it left the quarterback’s hand.
Dean stepped in front of the pass in full stride at the 50-yard line and raced into the end zone, beating the angle Richardson had taken on him in fruitless pursuit.
The Georgia lead was 24-0, and all it had taken from the Bulldogs’ offense during that 21-0 burst was two plays covering 47 yards.
There would be no quarterback controversy on this Saturday, or quarterback discussion, for that matter.
It marked the fifth time this season in eight games that the Bulldogs had shut out an opponent through the first 30 minutes, and that was all the cushion Georgia needed.
Bennett, making his fourth-straight start, finished 10-of 19 passing for 161 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
The Gators actually outgained Georgia 355-354, but with the Bulldogs’ dominant defensive spurt. no one seemed to notice.
The Bulldogs return to action next Saturday at home against Missouri. The Tigers beat Vanderbilt 37-28 on Saturday.
